1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf balls. More particularly, the present invention relates to multi-piece golf balls having a center, a mid layer and a cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Top concern to golf players for golf balls is their flight performances. The golf players particularly place great importance on flight distance attained upon shots with a driver. The golf players also place great importance on flight distance upon shots with a long iron and a middle iron. The flight performance greatly depends on resilience performances.
The golf players place great importance also on spin performances of the golf balls. Great back spin rate results in small run. For golf players, golf balls which are liable to be spun backwards are apt to be rendered to stop at a targeted position. Great side spin rate results in easily curved trajectory of the golf ball. For golf players, golf balls which are liable to be spun sidewise are apt to allow their trajectory to curve intentionally. The golf balls that are excellent in spin performances are excellent in control performances. High-level golf players particularly place great importance on control performances upon shots with a short iron.
Upon shots with an iron, the golf ball is rubbed with the face of the club. Due to this rubbing, the surface of the golf ball may be scuffed. Greatly scuffed golf balls can be no longer used. Scuff resistance performances are also important for golf balls.
Dominant golf balls in recent years are three-piece balls having a center, a mid layer and a cover. In light of the resilience performance, spin performance and scuff resistance performance, a variety of proposals have been made with respect to the three-piece balls. US2003/177492 (JP-A-2002-315848) discloses a golf ball in which ingenuity is exercised on amount of compressive deformation of the core, hardness of the mid layer and the cover, and thickness of the mid layer and the cover. US2005/181891 (JP-A-2005-224514) discloses a golf ball in which ingenuity is exercised on amount of compressive deformation of the core, hardness of the mid layer and the cover, thickness of the mid layer and the cover, and depth of the dimple.
Requirements for golf balls by golf players have been increasingly escalated in recent years. Balance of a higher order among the flight performance, the spin performance and the scuff resistance performance has been desired. An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball that is excellent in the flight performance, the spin performance and the scuff resistance performance.